UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, dedication.

UNICEF is committed to promote Gender Equality and empowerment of adolescent girls – across all sectors. By adopting Its most progressive and forward-looking strategic plan, Gender Policy and Gender Action Plan 2022-2025, UNICEF committed to advance bold, transformative change towards a more gender equal world and a world where an adolescent girl is empowered to realise her full potential in life. In South Asia, progress on gender equality has been remarkably uneven, and recent crises- the COVID-19 pandemic, climate breakdowns, Humanitarian crisis and shifting economic opportunities have further challenged gender-equitable growth. South Asia has the largest share of the adolescent girl population globally: 171 million. Adolescents especially girls continue to face tremendous barriers to accessing the information, services, and support they need to achieve their agency, voice and full potential. Girls tend to face more limitations on their ability to move freely and to make decisions affecting their work, education, marriage, Health and social relationships. These constraints deny them the ability to make informed decisions and choices for themselves, to care for their health and bodily autonomy, and to be treated as equals. To address this, UNICEF South Asia, has developed an adolescent girl framework 2022-25 to accelerate programming and reach with and for girls especially the marginalized, through investment in intentional interventions for girls’ and multi-sectoral and integrated programs focusing on their overall empowerment and wellbeing for holistic development.

Gender and Immunization is one of the key priorities for this region. One in 5 cervical cancers and one in four cervical cancer deaths worldwide are reported from this region. In every hour we lose 11 women to cervical cancer (92,000 annually), and we see this increasing with about 2% over the past few years. HPV vaccination is a game changer.  However, the current vaccination rates for HPV in South Asia are low- its 2% as per the latest WUENIC data. We have 17 million adolescent girls who are not vaccinated. UNICEF in 2023 allocated funds from 7% Set-Aside funds to support the multi-sectoral Adolescent Girls programming with HPV revitalization as the entry point, in 21 priorities low- and middle-income countries- 4 of this COs are in SAR.

How can you make a difference?

Working directly under the supervision of the Gender Advisor and in close collaboration with the overall ROSA Gender team, the consultant will be responsible for the following general/specific tasks:

HPV for girls

• Support RO/COs in advancing HPV+ programming for adolescent girls

• Finalization of the guidance note on HPV for girls

• Documenting good practices on HPV for Girls

• Coordinate Cross learning across countries on HPV for girls program

• Support the quarterly catch-up call on HPV+ programming

Gender and Immunisation

• Support the Gender and Immunisation team on Knowledge management efforts on gender and immunization

• Coordinate with COs Gender team to ensure active participation and leadership on monthly joint ( immusation, Gender SBC) calls

• Support to ensure Immunisation Tracker is up to date with key gender related elements.

• Support in development of acceleration plan for the implementation of gender and polio regional-led interventions

• Support with dissemination of the multi country barrier analysis findings

• Support the Team to develop a regional advocacy brief on gender and Immunisation.

Gender Annual Report 2024

• Compilation of good practices around gender and Immunization- that could feed into the Gender annual report 2024

• Contribution to gender annual report writing.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Gender studies, International development or related fields.
• A minimum of 4 years of professional experience in Gender programming
• Experience in working with UN agencies specifically in South Asia region is required.
• Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.
• Be fully computer literate in standard software applications.
• Have good analytical skills and possess good report writing skills.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.